1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a wheel spindle puller and more particularly a device for removing the front wheel spindle on four-wheel drive vehicles such as pickup trucks and similar vehicles. The puller includes a base plate having two hardened steel cap bolts mounted thereon and securely retained in place by jam nuts together with a puller bar movably guided on the bolts with the puller bar including a central, internally threaded bore receiving an elongated central externally threaded bolt having a swivel centerpoint head at its inner end which is aligned with an enlarged apperture in the base plate. The puller is associated with the spindle with the base plate having a thickness to fit properly on an unthreaded part of the spindle located just inwardly of the externally threaded outer end of the spindle and is held thereon by the existing bearing retaining nuts with the central threaded bolt having the swivel center point thereon then being engaged with the end of the axle shaft which extends outwardly from the spindle so that a wrench can be used to tighten the center bolt and pull the spindle from the steering arm and axle shaft.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Mechanical pulling and pushing devices are generally well-known for removing gears, hubs and the like. However, a puller for the front wheel spindle of a four-wheel drive pickup truck and the like is not available. During normal repair and maintenance work on four-wheel drive vehicles, the front wheel spindle must be removed to perform certain repairs including replacement of the universal joints in the front axle shafts, repack the inner spindle needle bearings with grease, replace the grease and dust seals on the steering knuckle assembly, replace ball joints on the steering knuckle assembly and to remove the front axle carrier assembly. The front wheel spindle becomes quite difficult to remove after the vehicle has been driven for a relatively short period of time since the backside of the spindle is exposed to road dirt, water and various corrosion inducing materials which renders it difficult to remove the spindle. The presently available gear pullers, bearing pullers and the like which are commercially available and those in the prior patents cannot be effectively used to remove the front wheel spindle of a four-wheel drive vehicle. A separate information disclosure statement will be filed.